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Making Memorial Day Plans? Be Sure They're Efficient

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Memorial Day is coming up and there are many ways to honor the men and women who died in service to our country. You may be planning to attend a parade or ceremony, or maybe you're just planning to take a moment of silence to reflect and remember.

Along with these excellent community activities, many Americans also choose to gather with friends and family to honor our heroes and usher in the unofficial start of summer. While the weather can still be unpredictable, by this time most of us are ready for sun and shorts and barbecue.

Having a house full of people? If the weather is warm, you may find yourself using the cooling system for the first time—and fighting all the activity, body heat, and opening and closing of doors that make it difficult to keep things comfortable. Your fellow readers had some great tips for saving energy when entertaining during the summer.

If you're one of the many who will be taking to the road, bring your patience and also check out Fueleconomy.gov's tips for efficient driving. You may also want to check out their gasoline price data for various U.S. cities, which can help you find local resources to point you to the cheapest gas in your area (or the area where you're traveling).

Finally—and I hate to even say this—in case the weather turns not-quite-summer-like and your outdoor barbecue turns into an indoor affair, you may want to keep our entry on energy efficient cooking for winter handy. I'll cross my fingers that the weather across the country cooperates and none of us will need these tips!

However you plan to honor our fallen heroes this year, I hope it's meaningful, fun, and energy-efficient. Share your own plans by e-mailing the Energy Saver team at consumer.webmaster@nrel.gov.